RootsChat.Com

General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: gmggmg on Thursday 15 August 24 10:00 BST (UK)

Title: Help finding 1830s military record
Post by: gmggmg on Thursday 15 August 24 10:00 BST (UK)
Hello,
I have found a newspaper clipping from 1842 (attached) which states that "Mathew Rickard, a retired non-commissioned officer from the Rifles...."
I have no further information on this topic. Would anyone know if there would possibly be any military records anywhere about this Mathew Rickard?
I just don't know where to start. Any help on where to go to find his military records (if there are any) would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Gary
PS He was my great-great-grandfather.
Title: Re: Help finding 1830s military record
Post by: GrahamSimons on Thursday 15 August 24 15:33 BST (UK)
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-army-soldiers-up-to-1913/ will help. NCOs and Other Ranks in general are much harder work than commissioned officers......
Title: Re: Help finding 1830s military record
Post by: Ashtone on Thursday 15 August 24 16:31 BST (UK)
Not an assist with the military record query, but Mathew Rickard also worked in Wexford.

Waterford Registers & Records

Year: 1846
Name: Rickard, Mathew
Address: Main Street, Wexford, Waterford
Occupation: Gov. lunatic asylum

Source: Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland 1846

ADDED

Slater, National Commercial Directory Of Ireland (1846)

Lunatic Asylum, Main Street
Governor - Matthew Rickard
Matron - Ann Rickard
Title: Re: Help finding 1830s military record
Post by: ShaunJ on Thursday 15 August 24 17:51 BST (UK)
I can't see any military records for him at all. No army pension records for that name.
Title: Re: Help finding 1830s military record
Post by: gmggmg on Friday 16 August 24 11:33 BST (UK)
Thank you for your replies about Mathew Rickard.

@GrahamSimons
Thank you, I checked out that link. It said there were some online records at the findmypast website. I subscribed (one week free trial) and I searched for him there. I didn't find anything. I suppose the next step is to visit Kew, or pay someone to search for me.
Thanks for the tip about NCOs, I had no idea if this is a difficult or easy search. It seems to be possible that there are no records.

@ShaunJ
Thanks for looking.

@Ashtone Thanks for that, I actually have it already. After Wexford he was in Dublin and then Killarney Asylum. I have a lot of info after 1842, but almost nothing from before 1842. Apart from a bakery 1837-1839, I have nothing. His estimated birth year is 1808, so he could have been in the army any time from say 1826 to 1837. I cannot find any birth record, or anything at all, before 1837.
In case anyone searches, there was a Mathias Rickard who was a baker in Dublin 1795-1830. He was the father of this Mathew Rickard. Actually this Mathew is really named Mathias, I think, but he seems to often be Mathew.
Title: Re: Help finding 1830s military record
Post by: gmggmg on Friday 16 August 24 11:45 BST (UK)
I did find one Matthew Rickard

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16514162

but the year is 1811, so it's too early.
Title: Re: Help finding 1830s military record
Post by: ShaunJ on Friday 16 August 24 11:58 BST (UK)
I did find one Matthew Rickard

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16514162

but the year is 1811, so it's too early.

That one was a caulker or carpenter in the Royal Navy, not a soldier in the Rifles
Title: Re: Help finding 1830s military record
Post by: gmggmg on Friday 16 August 24 12:47 BST (UK)
I found a Mathew Rickards in the East India company.

https://search.fibis.org/bin/aps_detail.php?id=1669625

https://search.fibis.org/bin/aps_detail.php?id=655272
(also attached)

The time frame is correct, around 1830. There is a comment that says
"Names extracted from Embarkation Lists of Officers and Soldiers of the British Army (4th L Dragoons, 2nd Regt) and their families, plus, Passengers and Lists of the Ships Crew."

Would anyone have any idea if this could possibly include the Rifles?

Title: Re: Help finding 1830s military record
Post by: ShaunJ on Friday 16 August 24 21:03 BST (UK)
Quote
Would anyone have any idea if this could possibly include the Rifles?

? It clearly says that Mathew Rickards was a seaman in the ship's crew. Not a soldier.
Title: Re: Help finding 1830s military record
Post by: MollyC on Friday 16 August 24 22:03 BST (UK)
Quote
Waterford Registers & Records
Year: 1846
Name: Rickard, Mathew
Address: Main Street, Wexford, Waterford
Occupation: Gov. lunatic asylum
Source: Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland 1846

Although the record set is "Waterford" this address is "Main Street, Wexford".
The original page is here: https://www.failteromhat.com/slater/0399.pdf
 -- headed Leinster province.  (Waterford is in Munster.)